חָרַב
chârab · H2717 · Hebrew · 40 occurrences
Meanings
-
to become dry or make dry
The process by which a body of water or place dries up through evaporation or draining, or the action by which humans or deities cause this; if this persists in land, sedentary life becomes impossible
ExamplesGenesis 8:13 Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, that the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground had dried up.
Judges 16:7 And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh animal tendons that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any other man.”
Job 14:11 “As water evaporates from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dried up,
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to be destroyed, to lie in ruins
State in which land, constructions, or towns have been totally of destroyed, including the people living there, to the extent that sedentary life is no more possible there
ExamplesIsaiah 34:10 It will not be extinguished night or day; Its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation it will be desolate; None will pass through it forever and ever.
Judges 16:24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has handed our enemy over to us, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has killed many of us.”
Isaiah 60:12 “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.
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to fight, to kill, to put to the sword
Causative action by which humans fight each other with a sword, usually resulting in death
Examples2 Kings 3:23 So they said, “This is blood; the kings must have fought each other, and they have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoils!”
Jeremiah 50:21 “Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill and completely destroy them,” declares the LORD, “And do according to everything that I have commanded you.
Jeremiah 50:27 Put all her bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment.
How it’s used In 8 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
33 occurrences in 16 groups
- Not stated: I 6
- Not stated: he, she or it 5
- מֶלֶךְking 3
- עִירcity, town 3
- Other words · 12 groups that occur once or twice (16) 16
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
12 occurrences in 10 groups
- יָםsea 3
- אֶרֶץland, earth, ground 3
- Other words · 8 groups that occur once or twice (9) 9
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
6 occurrences in 5 groups
- בin/on/with+ כַּףpalm, hand 2
- מִןfrom+ בְּלִיwithout, not 1
- מִןfrom+ אַיִןthere is no, not 1
- בin/on/with+ גְּעָרָהrebuke 1
- בin/on/with+ מוֹשָׁבdwelling, seat 1
With adverbsAdverbs
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- לֹאnot 2
- מְאֹדvery 1
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- אֶרֶץland, earth, ground 1
- ךְyou 1
Named alongside itApposition
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- הוּאhe, she, it 1
What it doesIt is the subject
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- יָצָאto go out 1
What is done to itIt is the object
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 1
- אָמַרto say 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 2 words
- יָבֵשׁ yâbêsh · H3001 · to dry up, to (cause to) dry up
- Both words can describe drying up or withering, though each has additional, distinct senses.
- צָמַק tsâmaq · H6784 · to dry up, to shrivel
- Both lexemes share a core sense of dryness — two distinct Hebrew words for being dry or withered.
Semantic domains 3 entries
- Dry002001001021
- The word denotes drying up or becoming parched, as in Genesis 8:13's account of the floodwaters drying up from the earth.
- Impact002001001024
- The word can denote laying waste or destroying through violent force, as in Judges 16:24's reference to the destroyer of the Philistines' country.
- Dead002001001018
- חָרַב denotes desolation, destruction, or drying up, most commonly of land or waters ("the water was dried up," Genesis 8:13) and, by extension, a slaying or destroyer of people (Judges 16:24, "the destroyer of our country") — a sense adjacent to, but not synonymous with, ordinary death; the destruction/desolation sense itself, rather than a technical "Dead" classification, is what this lexeme's genuine occurrences support.
Word family 8 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H2717. charab I. [חָרֵב] verb be dry, dried up (compare יָבֵשׁ) (Aramaic חֲרוֺב be dry,…
I. [חָרֵב] verb be dry, dried up (compare יָבֵשׁ) (Aramaic חֲרוֺב be dry, חוּרְבָּא drought); —
Qal Perfect3plural חָֽרְבוּ Gen 8:13 (twice in verse), Isa 19:6; Imperfect3masculine singular יֶחֱרַב Hos 13:15 Hos 13:2t., וַיֶּחֱרָ֑ב Psa 106:9; Imperative feminine singular חֳרָ֑בִי Isa 44:27; — be dry, dried up:
1 of ground, be freed from waters of flood ׳ח חָאֲדָמָה מְּנֵי Gen 8:13b (J).
2 of waters, be dried up, taken away; of waters of flood Gen 8:13 a (P); of Nile וְיָבֵשׁ יֶחֱרַב וְנָהָר Isa 19:5 (|| מֵהַיָּם וְנִשְּׁתוּמַֿיִם), see same combination Job 14:11 (|| מִנִּייָֿם מַיִם אָֽזְלו); Isa 19:6 (|| דָּֽלֲלוּ) Isa 44:27 (|| הוֺבִישׁ); of Red Sea Psa 106:9; figurative of Ephraim's freshness and vigour Hos 13:15.
Pu`al Perfect3plural חֹרָ֑בוּ לֹא Jdg 16:7-8, of fresh bow-strings (of gut, see Bla).
Hiph`il Perfect הֶחֱרִיב Nah 1:4, of ׳י's drying up rivers (|| וַיַּבְּשֵׁהוּ), perhaps also Isa 11:15 (for החרים ᵑ0) see ᵑ7 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵐ5; וְהַחֲרַבְתִּ֫י the Euphrates Jer 51:36 (|| הוֺבַשְׁתִּי); Imperfect יָם אַחֲרִיב Isa 50:2, subject ׳י, I dry up a sea (|| מִדְבָּר נְהָרוֺת אָשִׂים); אַחְרִב Isa 37:25 = אַחֲרִב 2Ki 19:24, of king of Assyria drying up rivers of Egypt; Participle feminine singular הַמַּחֲרֶבֶת Isa 51:10 of ׳י's arm drying up (Red) Sea.
II. [חָרֵב] be waste, desolate (Late Hebrew חָרֵב id.; Aramaic חֲרוֺב be laid waste; Zinjirli חרב adjective; Arabic be in ruins, waste, depopulated; Assyrian —arâbu, be waste, DlPr 175, —uribtu, desert, LotzTP); —
Qal Imperfect3feminine singular תֶּחֱרַ֔ב Jer 26:9, תֶּחֱרָ֔ב Isa 34:10; Isa 34:3masculine plural יֶחֶרְבוּ Eze 6:6, יֶחֱרָ֑בוּ Amo 7:9; Isa 60:12; Isa 60:3feminine plural תֶּחֱרַבְנָה Eze 6:6; Eze 12:20; Imperative חָרְבוּ (so, not חָֽרְבוּ — Theile — see van d. H Hahn Köi. 244) Jer 2:12; Infinitive absolute חָרֹב Isa 60:12; — be waste, desolate; of sanctuaries of Israel Amo 7:9 (|| נָשַׁמּוּ), of altars Eze 6:6; of cities Jer 26:9; Eze 6:6; Eze 12:20 (|| שׁמם); of nations Isa 34:10, יֶחֱרָ֑בוּ חָרֹב Isa 60:12 (|| יאֹבֵדוּ); figurative, in address to the heavens מְאֹד חָרְבוּ Jer 2:12 — (|| וְשַׂעֲרוּ שֹׁמּוּ,), be very desolate (at sins of Israel); others, be amazed, astounded (on relation of meanings see שׁמם).
Niph`al Participle feminine נֶחֱרֶבֶת Eze 26:19 as adjective, desolate city, i.e. uninhabited, see context; נַחֲרָבוֺת Eze 30:17 of desolate countries (|| נָשַׁמּוּ).
Hiph`il Perfect הֶחֱרִיב Ezekiel 19:17; Eze 19:1singular הֶחֱרַבְתִּי Zep 3:6; Zep 3:3plural הֶחֱרִיבוּ Isa 37:18; 2Ki 19:17; Imperfect1singular אַחֲרִיב Isa 42:15; Participle מַחֲרִיב Jdg 16:24; plural with suffix מַחֲרִיבַיִךְ Isa 49:17; — lay waste, make desolate, human subject; nations and lands Isa 37:18 = 2Ki 19:17; Isa 42:15, compare participle Isa 49:17 (|| מְהָֽרְסַיִךְ); add probably with We Amo 4:9 (הֶחֱרַבְתִּי for the untranslateable הַרְבּוֺת) I have devastated your gardens and vineyards; participle Jdg 16:24 desolater of our country (|| אֶתחֲֿלָלֵנ֑וּ הִרְבָּה); object cities Eze 19:7; streets Zep 3:6 (|| נָשַׁמּוּ).
Hoph`al Perfect3feminine singular הָחֳרָ֑בָה Eze 26:2 she is laid waste, of a city; Participle מָחֳרָבוֺת Eze 29:12 laid waste, of cities (|| שׁמם).
III. [חָרַב] verb (Aramaic and rare) attack, smite down (compare Arabic plunder, III. wage war with, VI. fight together, war, battle; Syriac smite, slay) —
Qal Imperative masculine singular חֲרֹב Jer 50:21 attack (+ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְהַחֲרֵם); masculine plural חִרְבוּ Jer 50:27 object כָּלמָּֿרֶיהָ, figurative of men of Babylon.
Niph`al Perfect3plural המלכים נֶחֶרְבוּ (see
Hoph`al) הָחֳרֵב 2Ki 3:23 the kings have attacked one another, fought together (|| אֶתרֵֿעֵהוּ אִישׁ וַיַּכּוּ).
Hoph`al Infinitive absolute 2Ki 3:23, see
Niph`al, but read perhaps הֵחָרֵב, compare Dr Lev 19:20, note.
[חֲרַב] verb be waste (see Biblical Hebrew II. חרב); —
Hoph`al Perfect הָחָרְבַ֑ת Ezr 4:15 city was laid waste.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 3 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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